Super Bowl halftime show: You have to pay to play

Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl XLVIII Halftime Show at MetLife Stadium on February 2, 2014 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The halftime show at the Super Bowl is coveted by artists in the music industry, but this year the National Football League is asking potential performers to pay to play the high-profile gig, according to The Wall Street Journal.

And the proposition has returned frosty responses from the three final candidates: Coldplay, Rihanna, and Katy Perry.

The NFL does not usually pay the act that performs during the halftime ceremony, but has covered travel and production expenses, which can run into the multimillion-dollar range, The Journal reported.

Joanna Hunter, a spokeswoman for the NFL, said the league's goal is "to put on the best show possible."

A valuable promotional opportunity, the halftime show drew a record 115.3 million viewers last February when the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Bruno Mars took the stage. Some artists have used this platform to announce upcoming tour dates and boost ticket sales. Many also see a spike in CD and download sales directly after the performance.